


Always On Yer Side

by OnlyOneWoman



Series: Aces of Spades and Hearts [3]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: A little angst, Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Asexual Relationship, Best Friends, Bubble Bath, Canon Divergence Characters, Coming Out, Cooking, Dinner, Falling In Love, Ficlet, Fluff, Irish slang, Lowbones, M/M, Moonsorrow, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Outing, Pet Names, Ridiculous, Romantic Fluff, The Cure, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, silverflint, ugly dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 18:46:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9780299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlyOneWoman/pseuds/OnlyOneWoman
Summary: A follow-up to the modern AU Billy/Ned ace fluff "Nerds With Privileges" and "G’night, muppet" no one asked for :) I'm not ace myself, but I find it interesting to try and write about an ace pairing. I hope it doesn't come off weird.Here we have a ruined dinner, pizza, The Cure, a very annoying silverflint visit and some changed plans. And a bubble bath. Oh, and Charles Vane sends his love ;) This is a weird ficlet...If you're a fan of History Channel's "Vikings" and remember Tadhg Murphy's role Arne, or have seen this awesome actor in another role than Ned Low, "my" Ned will be far closer to those than the Ned Low character. And Billy is definately not a "Black Sails season 4 Billy".





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AshesOfYggdrasil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshesOfYggdrasil/gifts).



”Oh, c’mon muppet, it’s not bloody end of the world.”  
”No, it’s worse.”  
”They’re yer friends and they know about ye. What’s the problem?”  
”I don’t know, it’s just…”  
  
Billy sinks down by the bathtub. His boyfriend lies under a cover of bubbles, hair in a tangled bun right on top of the head and looks like a mix between a hipster and a gang member. Ned has an infection in the eye-socket and can’t use his prostethic for too long time now. The reason? A very wet pub evening with friends two weeks ago where someone thought it was a good idea to slam a bottle of beer in Ned’s face for ”hitting on his girlfriend”. Billy is still not sure if he should be grateful for not being there, since he’d probably end up being charged with serious assault, or pissed because he wasn’t there to protect his boyfriend.  
  
The scar isn’t pretty but the doc said it wasn’t deep enough to make more than a thin mark once healed. And since the damn bottle made the prostethic pop out – which a drunken Ned actually thought was hilarious for about five seconds, considering the screams it caused while rolling on the floor and the disgusted look on the bottle smashing assholes face when Ned put it back in – and a drunken Ned didn’t think about dirt and infections when putting it back, he ended up with an eye-socket infection. Billy yelled so much one of the ER nurses had to ask him to calm down. Once sobered, Ned secretely found the outburst pretty sweet.  
  
The eye-socket is almost healed, but Ned’s been forced to walk around with an eye-patch that makes him look like a caricature of a gang member. And Billy, being the anxious person he is, has been a mess for two days because John and James thought it was a good idea to have ”a drink” tonight to meet Ned properly – and that ”drink” has now grown to a pub visit with far too many people, John called to tell him. Ned puts a lathered hand on Billy’s shoulder.  
  
”Ye don’t want me to meet yer friends, or what?”  
”Of course I want you to meet them, but I wanted it to be just John and James now.”  
”People’s been asking a lot, huh?”  
”You don’t say…”  
  
He’s not kept Ned a secret. _They_ haven’t kept their relationship a secret, but they both have a great need to take things slow, especially Billy. Being in love isn’t new to him, but the feelings he has for Ned have sent him on one hell of a roller coaster ride for a while now. He’s never felt a need for someone to this extent. Ned fits so well in his empty space it feels unreal sometimes. That feeling scares him, because it’s so entirely new. He squeezes the hand and Ned strokes him with his thumb.  
  
”If ye really don’t want to go, we don’t have to.”  
”It’s not that I don’t want, I just want to skip the part where people are trying to look like they don’t stare at us. I know some of them are so fucking curious about me finally getting a partner and all the damn sex jokes.”  
”But… I thought they knew?”  
”John and James know.”  
”Oh…”  
  
Billy made a sarcastic smile.  
  
”Yeah, you better get ready for like ten other people who’ve speculated about my love life for years now.”  
”Please don’t tell me they don’t know ye’re gay?”  
”Well…”  
”My sweet little muppet… Who doesn’t know yet?”  
”Uhm… Except for John and James no one.”  
  
Ned raises his eyebrows.  
  
”Ye told me ye were open.”  
”I am. When people ask.”  
”Ah, I see…”  
”What?”  
”Since ye’ve not said ye’re gay without anyone asking and never showed up with a guy or a girl, people of course think ye’re straight. And are surprised that ye’re single since ye’re so damn hot and charming.”  
”I have muscles, that doesn’t make me hot and charming.”  
”Are we seriously asking _us_ what’s _sexy_?”  
  
Billy laughs. Can’t do anything else, because the conversation is so irritating and he knows he’s far too nervous about this. Ned sits up, leaning his chin on his knees and smiles.  
  
”What’s the real problem, babe? Is it showing up with a buck, or a partner in general?”  
”Both. Not because I’m ashamed, but I hate being in focus…”  
”And ye will be t’night. I see. Oh, and then of course girls will be droolin’ all over ye.”  
”Don’t think they’re actually drooling, just assuming I need a girlfriend.”  
”Billy.”  
”Yeah?”  
”I begin to think this is not about showing up with a buck at all. Ye’re not sure ye’ll be left alone, right?”  
  
He’s right. To Billy, parties with people he doesn’t know, usually are all from annyoing to simply disgusting experiences. He’s not told John and James that, at least not very specifically, so of course John had no idea how uncomfortable Billy gets in those situations. Right now he has three choices. Go to the party, pretending Ned’s just a friend and go through a night with high risks of flirting attempts from girls. Or present Ned as his boyfriend and be subject for people’s curiosity. And the third option is right now very tempting: not going at all.  
  
”Look, babe, I have an idea.”  
”What?”  
”Why not text’em.”  
”Text who?”  
”Yer friends. Ye don’t think anyone will make a big deal ’bout the gay thing, right?”  
”Not my friends, no.”  
”Then send’em a text, saying ye’re bringing yer one-eyed, Irish boyfriend t’night and that ye don’t want’em to get all excited about it.”  
  
Ned looks so calm. Nothing seems to put him out of balance and the worry once again seems to melt away from Billy. His boyfriend strokes his hair with a wet hand, cups around his head and leans in for a kiss. The empty eye-socket doesn’t make Ned any less pretty, neither does the scar. His precense, his touches, the way he looks at Billy and the words bring Billy down to steady ground again. His kisses taste from tea and tobacco and Billy sighs when they separate.  
  
”I’ll think about it… For like half an hour.”  
  
He stands up again and smiles.  
  
”I’ll start with dinner.”  
”Yeah, I’m all done here soon.”  
  
Billy closes the door behind him, feeling so much better, as if the worries were never there at all. A couple of unknown people on a party is not a big deal and he suspects some of this tension is actually lingering from the attack on Ned. No one can hurt his darling. And more than anything, he wants his friends to like Ned.  
  
He puts on music, smiling when he hears Ned laughing and groaning from the bathroom.  
  
”Nooo!”  
”Your favorites, babe!”  
”Ye’re evil!”  
  
Ned’s weakness for black metal is one of few things Billy really can’t understand and Ned has equal difficulties to understand Billy’s fascination for new wave. The Cure are his favourites and Billy makes burgers with a teasing smile as his still quite wet boyfriend shows up in the kitchen with only jeans on and hair in a towel. Billy blocks the way to the stereo on the shelf and Ned grabs a spoon of minced meat from the bowl.  
  
”Oh no! No, no, no, Ned! Don’t even think about it!”  
”Turn it off, now!”  
”Monday you can hold your head, Tuesday, Wednesday stay in bed. Or Thursday watch the walls instead, it's Friday I'm in love… Ouch, stop it!”  
  
He grabs Ned’s wrist with a grin and makes him put down his weapon. Ned groans.  
  
”It’s not even bloody Friday, ye twat!”  
”I forgot to play it yesterday. Hey! Hands off my burgers! Bad Dubliner! _Bad_ Dubliner!”  
”Turn it off!”  
”I suffered through a whole night with men in great need of cough drops yesterday.”  
”Moonsorrow is highbrow culture!”  
”They growl and hiss! I don't care if Monday's blue, Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too…”  
”Aaah!”  
  
Billy manages to take the mince filled weapon and breaks down in a pile of laughter from his boyfriend’s attempts to get passed to change song. He clutches his arms around Ned on the floor, not even aware of all the skin he’s suddenly touching. He holds him tight, feeling the warm skin on Ned’s back and nuzzles his soft neck.  
  
”I’ll have to use fecking holy water on me ears now, ye evil man.”  
”You want to break up with me, right?”  
  
He’s mock pouting and Ned smiles, his eye soft as he leans down to nibble Billy’s ear.  
  
”S’it too early to say I love ye?”  
  
Probably. Maybe. Who’s counting? Flushed cheeks. Heated kisses, just at the brink of how far they want to go.  
  
”I love you too.”  
  
Sometimes you just know. Billy headbutts Ned’s cheek gently. He could stay here all night, not going to that party at all. Ned strokes his back.  
  
”I think half of our dinner is on the floor…”  
”How about you clean the floor and I order pizza?”  
”Sounds like a plan, muppet.”  
  
They’re supposed to be at John’s and James’ in an hour and a half and now as Billy thinks about it, it doesn’t feel as worrying anymore. Ned takes to the ruined burgers and Billy sets the table, takes out the wine and then opens for the pizza guy that’s not the pizza guy.  
  
”John?”  
  
And James. Ned comes out from the kitchen, hair still in a tovel and shirtless.  
  
”I put the money on the… Oh, hi.”  
  
James coughs and John smiles. They have pizza boxes with them.  
  
”Well, hello my beauties. We tried to call but you seemed… occupied.”  
  
Before Billy can answer, or ask who fuck paid for the pizzas, the actual pizza guy shows up.  
  
”Pizza delivery!”  
  
Billy just rolls his eyes and grabs the money on the dresser, nodding at John and James.  
  
”You two, get inside.”  
  
He turns to the pizza deliverer, pays for the food and takes the two boxes with mushroom and pepper pizzas before closing the door. Ned has put a longsleeved t-shirt on and an eyepatch and takes out more forks and knives.  
  
”Sorry ’bout the pirate outift. Had to rest me eye-socket. Beer anyone?”  
  
Billy melts invisibly to a pool of complete and utter happiness. The way Ned so easily smooths over both the fact that Billy’s friends showed up too early without calling (something Billy will have them killed for later on) and that he’s been seen without his prostethic with no visible unease, is putting butterflies in Billy’s stomach. He doesn’t care that James and John are here, or that they can see what he feels for Ned.  
  
John is all hearteyes, of course, looking like he’s the one newly in love. Billy just shakes his head and James sighs and plants a kiss on his boyfriends messy curls. Ned smiles, patting Billy’s shoulder before handing out napkins and turning off the music. John coughs.  
  
”I’m sorry to say it, but there’s no way anyone would think you’re friends.”  
”Why not?”  
  
Billy sounds irritated and John just laughs. James cuts his pizza in slices and smirks.  
  
”Perhaps because you’re behaving like a newly in love couple all the time. And no, you wont be able to hide that for a whole evening.”  
”So you say I’m to be outed tonight?”  
  
John trows out his hands.  
  
”Honey, we’re meeting _friends_. Friends who’re still hanging around despite me and James being super gay.”  
”I’m not super gay!”  
”Babe, you slice your sandwiches in four squares to eat them without spilling on you and folds your napkins.”  
  
James just snorts and Billy exchanges a look with Ned. Yep, James is super gay. And Billy is super ace and super in love with his boyfriend. No idea to pretend otherwise now. But showing up with his boyfriend in front of curious looks, even if they’re friends, still makes Billy’s stomach turn up in knots right now. And God, he hates parties.  
  
”Exactly how come you knew we were eating now?”  
  
John shrugs.  
  
”You usually eat around this time. Took a not so wild guess.”  
”Am I that predictable?”  
”Yes.”  
”Yeah.”  
”Aye.”  
  
Billy pinches Ned’s ear.  
  
”You’re supposed to be on my side here.”  
”I’m always on yer side, babe.”  
  
John gets hearteyes immediately and Ned shakes his head.  
  
”Think ye’re more in love here than all of us combined.”  
”That’s because you and Billy are so damn cute together. ”  
  
Even Ned can blush. That’s enough for Billy to shift focus. He loves the flushed cheeks, how Ned’s eyelashes flutters and John and James disappears from Billy’s eyes and ears, turned at his boyfriend, searching for his hand on the table. John smiles.  
  
”About the pizza, I just assumed you’d be eating around this time since we’re supposed to be at the part around eight and it’s almost seven.”  
  
Billy just glares.  
  
”You sound creepy, you know that right?”  
  
James nods.  
  
”I told him that, but he never listens to me.”  
  
Billy’s not angry about it, really. He knows it’s John’s way to make it easier for him. To make things a little smoother, but honestly, Billy’s not up for a night out. Not anymore. He’d much rather just stay at home with Ned. And with James and John too. Watch movies, curl up beside Ned and listen to his friends bitching with each other until John’s getting tipsy and clingy on James.  
  
Yes, that would actually be quite enough right now and Billy realises it was probably good that John and James showed up unanounced. If this freaked Billy out, than he’s definately not up for an evening with curious friends in a public place. Seeing how well things seem to work out between his boyfriend and closest friends makes him teary-eyed and Billy quickly excuses himself and leaves the table.  
  
Disappearing into his bedroom, closing the door just enough to create a litte privacy and then he lays down on the halfmade bed, where Ned’s t-shirt and sweatpants still lies in a soft pile along with his own. Billy buries his face in the fabric, trying to breathe slowly.  
  
The steps are familiar now, so is the way the mattress shifts. No touch, just the presence.  
  
”A little overwhelmed, muppet?”  
  
Nod. Searching for the hand that feels nothing but safe and right now. Ned pulls him close.  
  
”Ye want’em to leave?”  
”No… But I don’t want to go to that party anymore. And I need a moment.”  
”Of course, babe. I’ll go back to them.”  
  
This. Just having his space. Billy buries his face in the pillow again once Ned’s left the bedroom and closed the door. No pressure, not a ton of questions or too much touches. Billy ’s breath slowly calms down and he listens to his boyfriend and best friends talking and laughing from the kitchen. The sound is soothing and Billy giggles to himself as he hears John’s delighted voice:  
  
”The Cure! Haven’t heard them in _ages_.”  
”Not again!”  
”John if you love me, please, spare me this…”  
  
Billy’s pulse is normal again, the sense of fear and chaos gone and he leaves the bed, slowly walking back to the kitchen. John is dancing by himself on the floor with a wide grin in his face, while James clears the table and looks like he wonders where the booze is. Ned just giggles by the sink, filling the coffee maker with water and coffee. When he sees Billy in the doorway, he reaches out a hand and Billy allows himself to be pulled in.  
  
”Alright, muppet?”  
  
Soft, short beard. Steady heartbeats. _So fucking calm._ Billy feels like a wave crashing at a firm cliff. Ned hugs him tightly, his onehundred and seventythree centimeter short body a safe haven in every way.  
  
”I’m fine, babe.”  
  
Then he remembers and looks at James.  
  
”How about that damn party?”  
”I already texted Charles.”  
”You what?”  
  
Billy, Ned and John all stare at James, who just shrugs.  
  
”He’s been asking about you for weeks now so I thought I could just as well put a stop to the gossip.”  
  
John coughs.  
  
”Darling… did you just out Billy and Ned?”  
  
James just holds up his phone. An mms shows a smiling Charles holding up a bright pink drink in one hand and a paper in the other saying: _Finally! Be nice to him, Ned, or else…_ Billy’s boyfriend raises his eyebrows and then he takes out his eye and John squeakes. Ned just grins.  
  
”Take a pic, James.”  
”On your eye?”  
”No, me bloody slong. Yes, the eye.”  
  
James do as he says and then Ned takes the phone, converting the pic to an mms and adds something before answering Charles. James looks suspicios as he gets his phone back.  
  
”What did you write?”  
”That I’ll keep an eye on’im.”  
  
John groans and Billy starts laughing. James phone sounds again and he chuckles as he picks it up.  
  
”Charles sends his famous middle finger with love. And a fucking card.”  
”A card?”  
  
Billy takes the phone and when he sees the pic, his heart jumps. Charles shows his finger while smiling and holding up a card. Billy silently shows Ned and his boyfriend kisses his cheek. The card in Charles hand is the ace of spades.  
  
**THE END**


End file.
